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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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OFFICIAL USE ONLY INTERIM STAFF REPORT ON 1970 BIKINI ATOLL Note by the Secretary The General Manager has requestedthat the attached memorandum of November 17, 1970 from the Director of OperationalSafety, with enclosure,be circulatedfor the informationof the Commission. Secretaryof the Commission DISTRIBUTION NO. OF COPIES Exec. Asst. to GM Spec. Asst. to GM Asst. GM for Admn. Asst. GM for MA Asst. GM for Operations b#PIRMED TO BE UNCLASSIFIED
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UN ITED STATES 0 ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION INTERIMSTAFFREPORTON 1970 BIKINIATOLL ENVIBONMBNTALSURVEY Attachedis an interimreporton the 1970 surveyof BikiniAtoll. Includedare observationson progressby Trust Territoryin the rehabilitationprogram. The resultsfran air samplingare consideredto be finalvalues. Data from'soilsamplingare not to be availableuntil the end of November. At that timea finalreportof surveyactivitieswill be prepared. CONPIRHED TO BE UNCLASSIFIED
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Interim Staff Report on 1970 Bikini Atoll Environmental Survey A followup radiological survey of the major islands of Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, was conducted in May-June 1970, by representatives frown the U. S. Atauic Energy Commission, ttr University of Washington, and the U. S. Public Health Service.- This survey and associated field activities included general observatioue of prevailing environmental conditions, the collection of environmental samples for subsequent laboratory analysis, monitoring of scrap metal collected for sale by native workers, and an experimeut.to evaluate possible shielding effects to be expected frm use of locally obtained aggregate in housing construction. Considerable progress by Trust Territory was observed for the agricultural portion of the rehabilitation program. The coconut tree nursery contained several thousand seedlings in various stages of growth and the job of transplanting trees into rows has been completed for much of the Island of Eneu. Planting is to start later this year on Bikini Island. .The construction of housing had not started as of j une 1970 and would appear to be still sme time in the future.2 At the time of the team visit, there was a mall Trust Territory administrative A/ The total cost of the 1970 survey was about $110,000. DBM provided $17,000 for logistics support. NV provided $30,000 for PHS travel and sample analysis and $63,000 for University of Washington participation including program planning, transportation, equipment, salaries, and sample analysis. These contractor forces were provided from the capabilities being maintained to support AEC readiness-to-test response in the Pacific, and their costs were funded from the Readiness called for initial construction of 30 houses on Bikini Island in 1970. While some equipment and building materials were observed in stockpile on nearby Eneu Island, such construction had not begun at .the time of the eurvey. When contacted on November 5, 1970, a Ttust Territory official reported that 40 housaa were currently financed with canpletion due in 1972. The Trust Territory budget request for Fy 1972 was said to contain an item of $125,000 for construction of bathhouses and outhouses on Bikini IslanQ.
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unit operatingfrom the tent c8mp ou Eneu Islandthat was constructed duringcleanupoperations.There w8s no camp on Bikini Islandand any work done therewas performed by workersbroughtby boat each day from Eneu Island. The work crew of more than 20 Bikinianewho are participatingin the agriculturalrehabilitationprojectrotates every threemonths fran Kill Island,the presenthome of the Bikini people. Becsuseof the limitedfacilitieson Eneu Island,workers were not allowedto bring their familiesto BikiniAtoll even for first familiesmay not returnuntil 1972 or later. Thoseworking in the Atoll are experiencingproblemswith communications,water Laboratoryanalysisof air filtersamplescollectedover a twoweek periodon Eneu and Bikinih8s been completed. Table 1 presentsdata for five stationson Bikiniand four on Eneu. The values listedwere obtainedby analyzingone half of the filter for each day caapositedby stationover the tot81 scmrplingperiod. The remaininghalf of thesedaily air,filtersamplesis on file for possiblefutureuse. For comparisonthe FSaximueaPermissible Detailsof the locationof the air samplerswill be presentedin a later report. The only uniqueaspectof samplerlocationis for Station1 on Bikiniwhereinthis sampler~8s exposedto dust from the jeep drivenby the surveytearamembersalong the lagoon Table 2 presentsthe average Station1 on Bikinifor each averagevalue in the U.S. in It was expectedthat results of fo rteen consecutive days. The 1968 xs shown for comparison. for a+lysis of soil samples would be availablein late Septemberor ;I?srlyOctober. It now appears theseresultswill not be availableuntil the latterpart of Uovenberat which time a more completereportof the 1970 Bikini surveycan be prepared. Includedwill be data on air, water,soil, rates insideand outsidebunkersqad insideand outsidea cistern built with local sand and aggregatein 1969, the shieldingexperiment, Bravo cratermuck, and on urine samplesfor one Trust,:
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Collection period 5/29/70 through 6/12/7O was moved from upwind to downwind side of lagoon road after the